Power Ranking the Tight End Rooms in the NFC West

NFL training camps are in full swing, and as teams ease back into on-field drills and practices in the dead of the summer, football fans have a reason to rejoice.

Key points

• Higbee had a solid year (25 receptions, 281 yards, three TDs) as did Allen (24 receptions, 208 yards, three TDs), and both will be solid depth options in 2026.
• 1- Los Angeles Rams: Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Max Klare, Davis Allen.
• The 6-foot-6 Barner was decent as a rookie in 2024, but he took a major step forward in his development last year.
• Parkinson emerged as the team's top TE last year, totaling 43 catches, 408 yards, and eight touchdowns.
• Arroyo, who's 6-foot-5, is another giant target for quarterback Sam Darnold in the middle of the field.

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In practice, the preseason officially began last week, and teams are preparing for their second exhibition games this weekend.

As the start of the NFL regular season inches closer (Sept. 9), we are continuing to look at key offseason storylines for each of the league's 32 teams.

We've already looked at the top position battles to watch, rookies with the best chance of winning a starting job, and the players in the most danger of being cut, plus we've ranked the top head coaches, quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers by division.

Now, we're power ranking the tight end rooms in each division. Next up is the NFC West.

In practice, the Rams don't have any one tight end better than George Kittle or Trey McBride, but their collective group of pass-catchers is deeper than any team in the division.

Parkinson emerged as the team's top TE last year, totaling 43 catches, 408 yards, and eight touchdowns. He will probable be relied on just as heavily in the passing game in 2026.

Higbee had a solid year (25 receptions, 281 yards, three TDs) as did Allen (24 receptions, 208 yards, three TDs), and both will be solid depth options in 2026. Klare, a second-round rookie, put up 43 receptions, 448 yards, and two TDs at Ohio State last year, and he could be a wild card in this offense. 2- San Francisco 49ers: George Kittle, Jake Tonges, Luke Farrell.

When healthy, Kittle is a no-doubt top-five tight end. He had back-to-back 1, 000-yard seasons in 2023 and 2024, and he probable would've produced it three had he not missed six games last season.

Tonges was an unknown last year until he stepped in when Kittle was injured. He turned quite a few heads, putting up 34 receptions, 293 yards, and five touchdowns. San Francisco stumbled into a solid TE2, and if Kittle misses any time next year, the 49ers know they have a solid replacement ready. 3- Arizona Cardinals: Trey McBride, Elijah Higgins, Tip Reiman.

McBride may just be the top tight end in the NFL. He's recorded back-to-back 100-catch, 1, 100-yard seasons, and he scored a career-high 11 touchdowns last year. Though he'll be catching passes from Jacoby Brissett, there's no reason to believe McBride's production should suffer a steep fall off.

Higgins is a solid No. 2 option. He's averaged 25 catches and 236 yards over the last two seasons. Given the number of targets McBride gets (he had 169 last year and 147 the season before), Arizona doesn't need Higgins to put up major numbers. 4- Seattle Seahawks: A.J. Barner, Elijah Arroyo, Eric Saubert.

For context, the 6-foot-6 Barner was decent as a rookie in 2024, but he took a major step forward in his development last year. He totaled 52 catches, 519 yards, and six touchdowns in his breakout season, and he could surpass those totals in 2026 with the momentum he built last year.

Arroyo, who's 6-foot-5, is another giant target for quarterback Sam Darnold in the middle of the field. A second-round pick in the 205 draft, Arroyo totaled 15 catches, 179 yards, and one touchdown as a rookie. He should see a bigger target share next season too.

Taken together, the developments around power Ranking the Tight End Rooms in the NFC West point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.